Bedding element



March 15, 1960 M. N. MEREDITH 1 2,928,107

BEDDING ELEMENT Filed Feb. 1o, 195e 2' sheets-'sheet 1 H015 I @Wy/@Mw d QRNEY March l5, 1960 M. N. MEREDITH BEDDING ELEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 1Q, 1958 INVENTOR.

6% TRNEY United Stateslatent BEDDING ELEMENT Mary N. Meredith, Toledo, Ohio Application February 1o, 195s, seria1N0./1`4,z16

s claims. (cl. s ssz) i My invention relates'to bedding and particularly to a bedding element which provides an occupant with mattressed supporting area within a bedstead.

In summar, the invention providesmeans and elements, including those elements comprising said means, by which a pair of individual mattress bodies, disposed in side-by-side relation on a bedstead, are held against lateral movement relative to each other by a mattress body articulating means which permits independent compression of each mattress body, without causing cornpression of the other mattress body or without causing the upper surface of theother mattress body to be drawn down or to become inclined toward the compressed mattress body. Hence, the invention takes a step to-ward solving a problem of obtaining, for occupants of a double bed, the same degree of comfort inherent in separate and single bed use.

My invention has for its primary object to provide a bedding element for a double bed comprising a pairof articulated mattress bodies whereby one occupant of the bed does not effect a compression of the mattress body under the other occupant of the bed. A more specilic object to provide means for articulating a pair of mattress bodies, which means is of' such design as to engage the mattress bodies at points remote from the re. gions of articulation of the mattressbodies. I.

An even more specific object of the invention is to provide means in engagement with each of a pair of mattress bodies an-d operative when the mattress bodies 2 accompanying'drawings since the preferred of these forms presently appears to me to be the best mode by which my invention may betcarried out. Indescribing these forms, l shall use speciiic termsand make reference to speciiically shown parts in the accompanying drawings. However, by such description or reference, I do not mean to imply that variations from the forms so described or illustrated are considered by meto be beyond the contemplation of my invention made manifest herein.

Fig. l of the accompanying drawings is a perspective view illustrating the preferred form of a bedding element embodying my invention selected to illustrate the inven-l tion and shown `in a position of contemplated use on a bedstead.

are on a bedstead and occupied, to hold the mattress bodies in interengaging articulation on the bedstead but when unoccupied allowing each of the mattress bodies to be turned over to bring what was a lower side upand what Was an upper side down` and thus to obtain longer and more even wear of the mattress bodies v Another of the more specificy objects of my invention is to provide a means in engagement with each of a pair Aof mattress bodies serving the objects enumerated'above .and which by its design enables :the upper surfaces of the :mattress bodies to be electually integrated whereby the lwhich will appear from the following .description and from an examination of the accompanying drawings.

Bedding elements embodying ymy invention may takev various forms. I have selectedpreferred and modified formssthereof to describe hereinafter and show in said Fig. 2 `of the said drawings illustrates a-view of a seetion taken along the ,plane of the line 2-2 indicated in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a plan view of the bedding element shownjn Fig. 1 showing parts extended.

Fig. 4 of said drawings `is a view, like Fig. 3*,Vofa l modified form of bedding element. .y l

Fig. 5 of the accompanying drawingsisan end view of the bedding element of Figs. 1, 2 and 3 when the samefhasv been corn'fertedV for conventional single occupancy.v My invention attacks the problem arising when occupants of different weight occupy the same bed atvthe same time. weight causes the mattress on the bed on'that side of .the bed to .be compressed more thanthat caused by the occupant of lighter weight. As a consequence, a depression of greater depth is formed in the mattress beneath the occupant of heavier weight and the upper surfae of the mattress beyond said depression is drawn to incline more or less sharply toward said depression. The other or more lighter occupant, reclining'on this inclined, upper surface the mattress, tends to roll toward and against v the other occupant, usually to the discomfort of both occupants. v

Various remedies have been proposed to overcome `this problem. It has been suggested that the mattress contain resilient members of greater resistance to compression onfthe side of the bed on which the heavier occupant contemplates reclining. It has also been suggested that two separate mattress bodies, enclosed in a envelope, one of which bodies being made to containresilient members proportioned in their resistance to compression in accordance with the contemplated occupants weights, be used. v

These attempts at solving the problem have not proven successful. That is so because my predecessors have failed to recognize that the ticking forming the areaof the mattress on which the occupants recline, or thev'bedpad or bottom sheet which covers the ticking, act as cross-ties between the two sides of the bed and .occupants reclining thereon, so that the motion of Vone occupant or the effect of compression of the mattress induced thereby, istransniitted to the other occupant orthe I mattress'or mattress area on which suchV other occupant reclines through such ticking,`bed pad or l.bottom sheet.

Structures embodying my invention, on the other hand, provide a separate mattress body for each occupantand join them together to prevent lateral movement relativeto each other in a way and by a means that does not trans mit the motion or elfect of compression of one mattress to the other mattress, said means allowing the use on each mattress body of an individual bed-pad and bottorn sheet thus further insuring against transmission through those mediums. jv

Turning to the forms of construction l,shown inthe As is well known, the occupant of heavier .forms no part of my invention and thus is notV here described nor illustrated in detail.

Each mattress body may have an enveloping ticking 12 enclosing a plurality of suitable helical spring parts 13. A "pad 14 and a pad 15 at opposite ends of the plurality of spring parts 13 are provided. The pads 1d and may be formed of cotton, curled hair, sponge rubber or Y any of the number of well known padding materials.V The spring parts 13 and pads 14 and 15 serve to distend the ticking 12. VWhen so distended, the ticking 12 takes on thickness presenting opposite facing surfaces 16 and 517, side edges'18 and y19 and end edges Zii and 21. Thus, should 'a weight be applied to one of the surfaces 16 and 17 Y of onev of the mattress bodies suilcient to overcome the yielding resistance of the spring parts 13,'the mattress bodypwill be compressed.

vIf desired -thenumber of spring parts 13 or the temper o'r gauge thereof may be varied or proportioned to resist fa-'ny given weight, so that each mattress body may be individualized Ito tit or withstand the weight of the con- 'templated user, most comfortably to that user. Having lopposite and like surfaces 16 and 17, each mattress body may be used with either surface up and may, as is Acustomary in housekeeping, be turned over occasionally.

In embodiments of my invention, the mattress bodies 10 and 30 are connected together by aweb. Preferably, Ltheweb i's formed of fabric. In the form shown in Figs. I1,f2, 3 and 5 of the accompanying drawings, the web iti Aconnecting the mattress bodies is a fabric sheet whose dim'ension in fone direction is equal to the length'of a mattress body. The web 4t) may, if desired, be a laminated sheet and be quilted, as padding is commonly formed. vIt has two opposite parallel extending edges 45 and 46. One edge 4S engages, as by being sewn or otherwise yaffixed to, one of the side edges 18 and 19 of one ofthe mattress bodies and 3d and the other Vedge "46 of Vthe web 4i) engages 1in like manner to one ofthe sides 18 and 19'ofthe other mattress body.

Preferably, the edges 45 and d6 of the web 4t) are faixed to the side edges of the respective mattress bodies -along a line extending parallel to and mid-way between -thesurfaces V16 andV 17. This -allows 'for reversing the mattress Vbodies to bring either surface'upper-most not withstanding their interconnection, as will be later es- 'plained fI-'he dimension of the web 40 between the edges 45 and /46 is vcritical to my invention. This dimension should not be :substantially less than the combined widths of the fmattress bodies 10 and 30. Preferably, the dimension of the web between edges 45 and 46 is ksubstantially equal fito the combined width of the mattress bodies plus halves of the thicknesses of the mattress bodies.

In the form shown in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings, Vthe web ld'consists in fabric strips 141 and 142 Vthat: are arranged in criss-cross relation and may be stitchedtogether in the area, indicated 143, at which the strips cross 'each other. The ends of the strips provide edges .that may be sewn or otherwise axed to the side edges of the mattress bodies.' Thus, the strip 141 has an fendedge .145:1 and an opposite vend edge 146b andthe strip .142 .has-an Lend .ledge 146e and an opposite end dgel45b.

.TheendfedgeslASa-.and 145b vofstrips Y141 and 142 engage, as by being sewn or otherwiseiattached to, one

iofnheisidezedges.18.;and.19 ofonefof the mattress, bodies 10 and 30. Preferably, the end edge 145a of strip 141 engages the side edge of the mattress body along a line parallel to andfmid-way between the surfaces 16 and 17 of the mattress body in a region close to that at which the side edge of the mattress body so engaged joins one of the end edges 20 and 21 of the mattress body. Also, preferably the end edge Vb of strip 142 engages the same side edge of the mattress body engaged by end edge 145er of strip 141 along a line parallel to and mid-way between the surfaces 16 and 17 ofthe mattress body but in a region close to that at which the mattress body side edge so engaged joins the other of the end edges 20 and 21 of the mattress body.' So also are the end edges ldda and 146!) of the. strips 141 and 1142 connected to the other mattress body to produce a structure like that shown in Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.

The, distance between the end edges 145:1 and 1451 and 146o and 145]; measured along lines intersecting and extending normal to the lengthwise axes of the mattress bodies engaged bysaid end edges is not substantialiy less than the combined widths of the mattress bodies. Preferably, such distance, is substantially equal to the combined widthsof the mattress bodies plus halves of the thicknesses of each of the mattress bodies. ri`hus, the strips 141 and 142 provide a ilexible fabric spider or grill like web 14() that, dimensionally speaking, is equivalent to the fabric sheet web 4d.

In assemblyV of the mattress bodies 1i? and 34) on the bedstead 11 in contemplationy of double occupancy use., the mattress bodies are each placed in side-by-side relation, with side edges 18 and 19 of the mattress bodies 'that are engaged by the edges of the web '4d or 140, as

aforesaid, outermost with respect to the bedstead 11.

The web 4i) or 14), as the case may be, will, by reason of such disposition of the engaged side edges of the mattress bodies, be drawn fairly taut to span the arcadened'within the'bedstead. The free sideedges ofthe mattress bodies, that is those not engaged by the web edges, become positioned in abutting articulated relation,

as is shown in Figs. l and 2 of the accompanying drawings. The mattress bodies are held against lateral move ment ,from this described position and relation by the web 4t) or 140 without, however, any limitation being exerted on either mattress body to individually react to compression and be immune from the effect of compres sion of the other Ymattress body.

In making up a bed utilizing a bedding element embodying my invention, if mattress pads are to be used, each mattress has an yindividual pad, such as mattress pads 22 and 32 shown on mattress bodies 11it and 3?, re-

spectively. Likewise, each .mattress body has an indi.-

vidual bottom sheet, such as the bottom sheets 23 and 33.shown on the'respective mattress bodies 1G and 30. l

occupants. Onv the other hand, the motion or weight of one occupant of the kbed tending'to compress the mattress under suchvoccupant will not be transmitted to the mattress under the other occupant thereby to disturb the other occupant. r

When it is desired to turn the beddingelement over,

each mattress body, after Vremoval of the other bedding,

may be pivoted as is Adigrammatically shown in broken linellilZ in-Fig. v2 of the accompanying drawings, Vabout anaxis provided along therespective lines of engagement 'of the .web therewith so that the assembly isv fully `ex- .ltended, .as `shown in ligs. vi3 land -4 .of the @accompanying surface 16 or 17 was previously up being downandthe other surface up.

Should it be desired to convert the bedding element of l my invention having the preferred form of web 40 for single occupancy, the mattress bodies may be pivoted to full extension as when contemplatingreversal. Instead of turning the assembly over, however, the web 40 is raised in the bedstead 11 to allow the mattress bodies 10 and 30 to be inserted under the web and so that their free side edges meet along an approximately central line through the bedstead beneath the web 40. In that relation, the mattress bodies engage and are supported on the bedstead, as shown in Fig. of the drawing. The web 40 will be above and cover the mattress bodies l0 and 30 bridging the abutting free side edges thereof.

Thus, my invention not only solves a problem that has long remained unsolved but also provides a mattressV bedding element of considerable adaptability.

I claim:

1. A bedding element for a double bed bedstead corn-` prising the combination of a pair of mattress bodies and a web, each mattress body having opposite facing occupant supporting surfaces and opposite and parallel extending side and end edges, the mattress bodies being of substantially equal dimensions and of a length substantially equal to the longer dimension of a bedding space within a double bed bedstead and each of a width substantially equal to one-half the width of a bedding space within a double bed bedstead; the web comprising a quilted sheet fabric having a length dimension-substantially equal to the length of a mentioned mattress body and a width dimension substantially equal tothe combined widths of the mentioned mattress bodies plus the thickness of one of the mentioned mattress bodies, the sheet fabric having each of its long edges in engagement with one of the mentioned mattress bodies along a line that extends along one side edge of the mattress body and substantially parallel to and midway between the opposite facing occupant supporting surfaces of the mattress body'whereby the -mattressbodies are connected together and, when moved towards each other around the lines vof engagement thereof with the web, the mattress bodies side edges not engaged by the web meet in abutting relation andthe web is drawn taut to hold the mattress bodies l i against relative lateral movement.

2; A bedding element comprising a pair of mattress vbodies and a web, each mattress bodyuhaving opposite facing surfaces and lengthwise extending side edges, each mattress body being of the same dimension lengthwise as the lengthwise dimension of the other mattress body, said web being in engagement with one lengthwise extending side edge of each of said mattress bodies and being substantially of the same effective dimension between said mattress bodies as the combined crosswise dimensions of the two mattress bodies whereby the web extends f across one of the said surfaces of both mattress bodies and tends to hold the mattress bodies against lateral movement relative to each other when the mattress bodies are placed side by side with their unengaged lengthwise extending side edges in abutting relation. Y

3. A bedding element -asfdescribed in claim 2 in which the web comprises a pair of strips extending cross-wise each other, one end of each strip being in engagement with a side edge of one mattress body in a region proximate one end of the mattress body and the other end of each strip being in engagement with a side edge of the other mattress body in a region proximate the other end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,526,737 Bradley Feb. 17, 1925 1,650,130 Joachim Nov. 22, 1927 1,986,896 Robinson Jan. 8, 1935 2,004,106 Gaston June 11, 1935 2,651,788 Forwood sept. 15, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 223,222 Germany June 17, 1910 

